GOOD SHEPHERD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

A Voice in the Wilderness

By Bill Jones

The Methodist Episcopals were the first to hold regular meetings in Hancock County. As early as 1831, this group had organized a society at the home of John Dukes in Blanchard Township with Rev. Thomas Thompson being the first minister. The first church structure was built in the late 1830s at the intersection of US 224 and TR 123. It was constructed of hewed logs with a clapboard roof and its dimensions were 32 ft x 28 ft. This church became known as the “Dukes Meeting House.” A brick building was constructed in 1880 on the same site.

The first services of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Benton Ridge were held in homes by itinerant preachers from Rawson. In about 1867, Rev. Joseph Good organized the church and held regular services in the old log schoolhouse at the north end of Market Street. In 1871, a brick church was constructed and this building is still standing on the NE corner of Main and Market Streets. Some members of the Dukes Methodist Church joined the Benton Ridge congregation at that time.

In 1911-12, a new cement block church was built at the west end of Benton Ridge and the brick church was abandoned. Daniel Jackson was the building project treasurer and he was successful in raising the full $12,000 needed for the construction in less than one year. The new building was dedicated on Feb. 11, 1912.

In 1939, the church name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist when the Methodist Episcopal, the Methodist Protestant, and the Methodist Episcopal Church-South merged. It was also during the 1930s that the basement was added to the church building.

From its beginning, the Benton Ridge Methodist Society (Church) was part of a charge associated with other Methodist Societies in Rawson, Keller, Gilboa, Webster, Mt. Cory and Benton Ridge. In a charge, the pastor is shared with other churches. In 1994, Good Shepherd first became an independent congregation.

From the 1950s to the early 1970s, the Methodist Men’s Club working side by side with the Women’s Society for Christian Service supplied many of the financial resources of our church. These groups sharecropped the 110-acre farm belonging to church member, Velma Rantz, on the west edge of Benton Ridge. They also sponsored many special events that raised funds for church activities. Also, during this same period of time another fundraiser for the church was known as the Harvest Home celebration. This was a special time each November when each Sunday School Class would become involved in projects to earn income for the church. The model was that of the good servant who invested his talents to multiply them for the kingdom. There are many fun stories and remembrances of those activities from the older members of our congregation.

The church parsonage was built in 1967 and our pastor then became more of a part of the Benton Ridge community. In 1968, the Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist Churches united to become the United Methodist Church. In 1970, the Ohio Conference of the old Methodist Church and the Ohio Sandusky Conference of the former EUB Church were consolidated into one new West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church. Calvary and Good Shepherd were chosen as the names of the two congregations in Benton Ridge. In 1971, the Benton Ridge Charge was created with the two churches under the leadership of Rev. Robert O. Rector (1971-1978).

In 1974-1975, an Education Annex was added to the original Good Shepherd building. In 1976, the first Lay Witness Mission was held in Benton Ridge. This experience renewed and energized our faith and began a period of growth and ministry at Good Shepherd that continues today.

In 1984, the Share and Care Sunday-School Class took on the project of providing a Christmas Pageant to the community to focus on the Biblical meaning of Christmas. This Live Nativity Pageant has continued each year since in the Benton Ridge Park.

In 1987, a Diamond Anniversary Rededication was held to celebrate 75 years of ministry in the present building and to celebrate a major remodeling of the sanctuary.

In 1994, The Benton Ridge Charge consisting of the Calvary and Good Shepherd Churches was discontinued so that each church could select its own pastor. The Good Shepherd Church chose Karl Ruetz, a Winebrenner Seminary student and member of its congregation as its new pastor. The Calvary Church chose Rev. Dann Saylor as their pastor. It was also in 1994 that the Parsonage garage was doubled in size.

In 1998, dividers were added in the Education Annex Basement and the elevator was installed. In 2001, the church website, www.focusonthecross.org was begun.

In 2002, the second service was added on Sunday morning and the time of the first service was changed to 8:30 AM from 8:45 AM.

PASTORS TO GOOD SHEPHERD

1871-1891……..Joseph Good

James Delisle

M. Howison

W. Ceoles

Rev. Moree

G. H. Priddy

A. Hall

D. Carter

H. Jameson

P. Drown

J. Omerod

C. Rowley

1892………….. Brother Higby

1893…………. James C. Clemons

1894-96……….W. Wesley Curl

1897-99……….W. J. Green

1900…………. B. F. Reading

1901-03……… Samuel W. Scott

1904…………... D. G. Hall

1905-07………..Otto Curl

1908………….. J. A. Homes

1909-10………….. T. J. Engle

1911-12………….. W. W. Motter

1913-14………….. W. E. Chiles

1914-16………….. W. H. Cundy

1917……………… F. L. Creech

1917-18………….. W. C. Mitchell

1919-20…………. A. Brooks Johnson

1921-22………….. George Beachler

1923-24………….. T. H. Linville

1925-26………….. Carroll Lewis

1926-28………….. G. E. Fisher

1928-29………….. R. L. Wilkins

1929-31………….. John T. Carter

1931-33………….. Lester Bradds

1933-36………….. W. H. W. Webster

1936-37………….. F. B. Overholt

1937-39………….. A. E. Boots

1939-44………….. Clayton D. Landes

1944-46………….. Ben Rider

1946……………… Edwin O. Lineburger

1947-49………….. Seth Lenhart

1950-58……… Henry Angerer

1958-62………. Frank A. LePage

1962-64………. Douglas Hodges

1964-66………. Arthur Mansure

1966-68………. Richard Davis

1968-69………. McClellan Nicholson

1969-71………. Paul Robinson

1971-78………. Robert O. Rector

1978-82……… James D. Ludwick

1982 ……… Gary Eubank

1982-86……… Dr. Blake J. Neff

1986-89……… Robert L. Hayes

1989-92……… Richard A. Smith

1992-94……… George A. Nagel

1994-98……… Karl Ruetz

1998-2000…… Mark O. Chambers

2000-03……… Scott Mischler

2003- ……… Kevin Pees